WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) today issued the following statement by Stephen J. Ubl, president and CEO, commending a call by Members of Congress for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to study the impact of competitive bidding on patients:

“The letter sent from 138 Members of Congress to the OIG on competitive bidding policies will help to gauge the real world effects of this program.

“As noted in the bipartisan letter, critically missing from CMS is an independent evaluation of the Competitive Bidding Program’s impact on the health and well-being of vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries and whether their access to quality products has, in any way, been compromised by the bidding process established by CMS.

“With the program set in 2016 to apply competitive bidding prices to the remaining 50 percent of Medicare beneficiaries not yet subject to competitive bidding, we believe that Congress and Medicare beneficiaries deserve a better understanding of the impact this program has had on our seniors to determine if changes should be made to ensure patients’ access to quality care.

AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. For more information, visit www.advamed.org.